The four elements of an arrest are the intent to arrest, authority to arrest, subjection to arrest and the understanding by the person arrested that an arrest has occured.
Gather evidence: If possible, try to remember details of the arrest, like the officer's name and any witnesses. Contact an attorney: Talk to a lawyer specializing in wrongful arrest. They can advise you on your legal options, which may include filing a lawsuit against the arresting officer or department.
A conservative estimate is that you can get $1,000 per hour of wrongful incarceration. This figure can go up to many thousands of dollars per hour if aggravating factors apply. For instance, if you had medical complications after your arrest and had to go to the hospital in handcuffs, then your payout could be higher.
Typically, plaintiffs bringing allegations of false arrest against state authorities need to prove all three of the elements outlined below. The arrest was inappropriate. The person detained suffered harm. An officer was the cause of the injury.
Typically, plaintiffs bringing allegations of false arrest against state authorities need to prove all three of the elements outlined below. The arrest was inappropriate. The person detained suffered harm. An officer was the cause of the injury.
Proving False Arrest To be successful with a civil lawsuit pertaining to false arrest, you must prove three elements of your case. These are as follows: Law enforcement officials arrested you without a valid warrant, without a warrant at all, or without probable cause. You suffered actual harm as a result.
In addition to federal claims, victims of wrongful arrest in Fairfax may have recourse under Virginia state law. Similar to false arrest, this claim addresses unlawful detention without legal authority. The victim could sue for malicious prosecution if the wrongful arrest led to unfounded criminal charges.
Most cases of false arrest involve accusations of shoplifting, and are brought against security guards and retail stores. A guard cannot arrest someone merely on the suspicion that person is going to commit a theft. In most jurisdictions, there must be some proof that a criminal act has actually been committed.
False imprisonment is the “complete deprivation of liberty for any time, however short, without lawful cause”. (See Clerk and Lindsell on Torts, 19th edition, 2006, 15-23.) It is also known as: Wrongful arrest.